2 dead, 6 injured after Lincoln Co. TN storms

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency confirmed Tuesday that two people have been killed, and six injured, as a result of severe storms that struck the region on Monday.

The people killed were identified as John and Karen Prince, a husband and wife from Lincoln County.

The son of the victims said his parents were at a neighbor's house during the first wave of storms, and went home after an all-clear. He said he called his mother to inform her of another tornado that had developed; five seconds later, he said, the phone cut out.

He said he was the one to find his parents' bodies, thrown more than 100 feet from their home across the street.

It was also confirmed that South Lincoln Elementary School was destroyed by the tornado that struck during the string of severe storms. The school had its roof torn off. The sheriff described the building as "beyond repair."

Classes have been canceled for Wednesday. Officials are reviewing options for filling out the remainder of the school year at other campuses.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday preliminary results indicate an EF-3 tornado struck the area. It touched down just north of the state line and lifted near the Moore County line. The Lincoln County sheriff said a preliminary aerial survey showed the tornado was approximately two-miles wide.

Officials confirmed that Lincoln County water treatment plants are operational after two facilities were stricken by power outages Monday. TEMA is transporting tarps and pallets of drinking water to the county as water treatment returns to normal capacity.

More than 8,000 customers in Tennessee are without power, with the majority of outages reported in Lincoln, Shelby and Bradley Counties.

Three TEMA coordinators, a 20-person National Guard Unit have been dispatched to Lincoln County to assist in the recovery effort.

TEMA's Middle and East Regional Coordination Centers have been activated and are in constant contact with National Weather Service offices in Huntsville, Memphis, Nashville and Morristown on the approach of more storms expected Tuesday.